personalities are unique in each bird---some males are more outgoing, curious, snuggly, vocal.....quiet, reserved, laid back....than others. You dont get to chose the personality. That being said, Eclectus in general are known to be fairly consistant across the subspecies, Im pretty sure you wouldnt be able to tell one from the other based on personality alone. 6 months is an ideal time to get a baby. Most reputable breeders wont let them go before 16 weeks...and they usually still need a comfort feeding once or twice a day for a short while after that. I know of one breeder who wont release their babies until 6-7 months so you are right in the sweet spot for a baby at that age.
I know a few Grands but i had to ask...the males in particular are very difficult to tell the 4 subspecies apart and unless they're all side by side it would not be easy to tell. I dont know them well enough to be able to say much about their personalities, and one is female. SI's and Vos seem to be the more popular subspecies in the US. At a guess, the reason for this is because of availablility of breeder stock. Ekkies are several decades behind other birds in terms of breeding programs, due primarily to the misconception that the greens and reds were different species. Once they figured out that they were sexually dimorphic, breeders needed buyers----and since no one knew what an eclectus was, it has taken quite a while for the demand to build. Without demand, there is no reason to breed...and no incentive to bring in different subspecies. Grand isnt "rare" its just not as common in the US. Vos are popular largely due to the coloring in the female. When you see a Vos female, you know its a Vos. There is also a lot of cross breeding between the subspecies. Probably not intentional unless an unscrupulous breeder just paired up the first birds he could find. Unless you get your bird from a breeder who has an extensive history breeding ekkies (not just breeding birds) you may end up with a mixed bird. Many of the newer breeders have no real documentation of their breeding stock origins..and have to take at face value what they are told when they acquire a bird. IE: if I were to breed Wrangler....i'd either be guessing that he's a Vos male, or possibly a Grand....even though he's banded we simply dont know what he is--he's a rescue, and a plucker.
As to your plucking issue...yes, a lot of ekkies are pluckers...so are greys, and cockatoos. Improper diet is part of it, boredom is part of it, emotional insecurity is also a factor. Different birds pluck for different reasons, but not all birds of an entire (sub) species pluck. It's ridiculous to claim that. When i got Wrangler he was missing almost all of his body feathers except for some down, all of his tail, and a big chunk of wing feathers. Over time he's managed to grow most of them back, though when he gets upset he shows it by dumping a few dozen feathers onto his cage floor. The big difference is that he leaves his primaries alone and his feather-fest, as i call it, only lasts for a few days. I can live with this. Im not happy about it, but he's made great strides in so many other areas that this is a minor issue in the scheme of things. Wing flipping and toe tapping are another issue entirely. These are usually (stressing USUALLY) diet related. It is stressful for the bird to have these involuntary spasms, and in the long term it can affect their overall health. Underlying medical conditions can also cause flipping/tapping--they are a symptom of something else so if you see it present, dont ignore it.
Probably one of the biggest differences between smaller birds and Eclectus is their emotional need to be with family. Being home doesnt mean your bird isnt bored/lonely. My husband is home a lot when Im working but he's upstairs in his office and doesnt interact with Wrangler for the better part of the day. Today I got home from work and found a box of T-pins all over the carpet and a few things knocked over. Clearly he'd left his cage (he's rarely locked in) and wandered through the dining room and living room to find some entertainment of his choosing. This all occurred while my husband was home (the wind also threw the patio umbrella into the yard and he didnt notice that either). Your bird is part of the family and needs to be included...not pulled out every now and then when you decide you want to play with him. Like a dog that has to be taken out several times a day for natures call and exercise...a bird of this genre is a daily commitment with needs for love and interaction to be emotionally healthy. I take Wrangler with me to run errands if I've been working a lot. He loves the car rides and the experience of going to new places. It satisfies both his need to have "mom-time" and stimulate his curiousity. He also goes along for the evening dog walk---same reason. He can self entertain, but it's MY responsibility to make sure he's emotionally happy, especially considering his background prior to being rehomed. My neighbor has a love bird and some finches. She talks to them and interacts with them, but it's limited---and they dont care if she's around or not. The entire block knows when I leave for work...Wranglers "flock call" looking for me is hard to miss. Side note here...he's finally settled in to the point that I dont get flock call nearly as much any more. He's more comfortable with the house and understands that I will come back--but it took over a year to get to that point with him.
we are here to help...we care about our birds and want new owners to be as well prepared as possible. Snarking about lack of responses will only alienate one of your best resources. This forum has been an incredible resource for me over the last 18 months--and much more on point that the "forum of public opinion" aka facebook. Not all of us are on the site daily, or even weekly---so cool your jets, be polite, be gracious, and be patient. Your bird will thank you for it.
